London Borough of Hillingdon Local Development Framework Submission Core Strategy October 2011 Consultation Statement - Regulation 30 (1) (d) Part 3: Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options consultation (Spring 2007) 1 Consultation Statement - Regulation 30 (1) (d) Part 3: Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options (Spring 2007) Introduction 1.1 Hillingdon’s Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD) has been prepared in accordance with our Statement of Community Involvement and the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008. Consultation stages that were carried out before the 2008 Regulations are still relevant and are provided for by the “transitional arrangements” contained in the 2008 Regulations. 1.2 This document has been prepared in accordance with Regulation 30(1)(d) of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 and sets out: (a) Who the Council consulted on its Revised Preferred Options DPD; (b) how they were consulted; (c) how many representations were made; and provides (d) a summary of the main issues raised in those representations 1.1 Details of the consultation carried out under Regulation 25 are set out in four parts: (1) Part 1- Issues and Options consultation (2) Part 2 - Preferred Options consultation (3) Part 3 - Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options consultation (4) Part 4 – Core Strategy (Regulation 25) June 2010 consultation 1.2 This document provides details of the consultation carried out at Part 3 - Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options consultation. Background 1.3 Between 21 February and 4 April 2005, the council consulted on A `New Dawn for Planning – towards a Local Development Framework - Planning Issues and Options’ paper. The Preferred Options for the LDF were developed, taking into account the responses to the Issues and Options consultation and the results of the sustainability appraisal of the options. Between 12 October and 23 November 2005 it consulted on Core Strategy, Site Allocations, Southern Hillingdon Area Action Plan and Health and Education Area Action Plan Preferred Options. Between 7 February and 26 March 2007, the Council consulted on the Revised Core Strategy. These consultations were undertaken under the 2004 Regulations. 1.4 From 2008 the council revised its approach to the preparation of the Local Development Framework and to deal with the emerging issues relating to the growth of Heathrow airport. The Submission Core Strategy omits development management policies and site specific allocations, (which will follow later), and instead focuses on a long-term vision for Hillingdon grounded by infrastructure provision and delivery of strategic policies. Hence the current Core Strategy, whilst drawing on earlier work, differs radically from earlier versions. It also benefited from close engagement with Hillingdon Partners from autumn 2009. 1.5 In June 2010, the council published a new Core Strategy document in accordance with Regulation 25 of the 2008 Regulations. The purpose of the consultation was London Borough of Hillingdon 2 Consultation Statement - Regulation 30 (1) (d) Part 3: Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options (Spring 2007) to provide further opportunity for people to get involved in the LDF process, and in particular to consider the preferred options for the Core Strategy which had been developed since 2007. 1.6 In February 2011, the Council published the Pre-Submission Core Strategy for consultation in accordance with Regulation 27 of the 2008 Regulations. 1.7 The drafting of the Core Strategy has taken into account relevant planning legislation, national planning policy statements; on-going advice from the Government Office for London and the Planning Inspectorate, and also from lessons learnt from professional planning bodies and agencies, in particular the Planning Advisory Service (PAS). In summary the Core Strategy has evolved from the following documents: • Issues and Options (Spring 2005) • Preferred Options (Autumn 2005) • Revised Preferred Options (Spring 2007) • Consultation Draft (June 2010) • Pre-Submission Draft (February 2011) Bodies invited to make representations 1.8 On 12th December 2006, Cabinet approved the Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options for consultation. The council specifically consulted with the organisations, bodies and groups identified from its LDF Consultation Database (see Appendix A) in order to gather their views on the Revised Core Strategy. 1.9 The consultees included specific consultation bodies and other statutory bodies, local amenity and residents groups, businesses and individual residents. In addition, the council consulted more widely through a variety of consultation techniques. How bodies were invited to make representations 1.10 The consultation period ran for 6 weeks from 7 February to 26 March 2007. The consultation programme was developed in line with the details outlined in the Council’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement. Various methods were employed with the aim of raising awareness of the Local Development Framework (LDF) and informing as many people as possible about the consultation. This included the various interactive forums that the Council has involvement with, in order to reach some of the hard-to-reach groups that have historically been under- represented in our consultation responses. These are summarised below: • Advertisements were placed in the local press in the form of a statutory notice in the classifieds section (see Appendix B), and also a promotional advertisement encouraging on-line comments. o Advertisements in local press: Uxbridge & West Drayton Gazette Ruislip & Northwood Gazette Hayes & Harlington Gazette Uxbridge & Hillingdon Leader London Borough of Hillingdon 3 Consultation Statement - Regulation 30 (1) (d) Part 3: Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options (Spring 2007) Uxbridge & Hillingdon Times London Gazette • An audio advertisement was also placed in the Hillingdon Talking Newspaper for those unable to see or read. In addition, all information was advertised as being made available on request in Braille, large copy print, audio cassette or in a number of different languages other than English for those requiring a translation service. • All documents were made available on the Council website, at the Hayes One Stop Shop, all borough libraries and the Planning and Community Services Reception, Civic Centre, Uxbridge. Quick links were placed from the home page on the Council website to the LDF page and the consultation document and also from the Horizon intranet site. • Posters advertising the consultation period and the dates of the public drop-in sessions were displayed at Civic Centre planning reception, Hayes One- Stop-Shop, all of the borough libraries, GP surgeries, Community Centres, Post Offices Higher and further education institutions • Members of Policy and Environmental Planning Team attended various Council forums and working group meetings to discuss the LDF and deliver presentations. The specific groups that were targeted included local strategic partners, young people, older people, minority and ethnic groups, people with physical and learning disabilities, residents associations, agents, developers, business groups and adjoining boroughs. These meetings were also useful and allowed the discussion in detail of specific concerns relevant to these individual groups. Articles were also placed in some of these stakeholder groups newsletters. Translations of the presentations were also made available in the sessions. • Approximately 2,750 letters were sent to all those on the planning database. The database includes ‘specific consultation bodies’ such as national and regional public bodies, adjoining local authorities and relevant telecommunications, electricity and gas companies and sewerage and water undertakers. In addition, there are ‘general consultation bodies’ these include Local Strategic Partnership, residents associations, educational, environmental, healthcare and community services organisations, volunteer groups, young, ethnic and minority groups, people with disabilities, local businesses, developers/ agents and 50 residents per ward randomly selected. • Public drop in sessions were held at various locations across the borough at various times of the week-day/ weekend. Despite the extensive publicity of these events, attendance was low. Nevertheless, the discussions at these sessions were worthwhile and helpful, with valuable feedback received. • Public drop in sessions were held at the following locations and times: Dates Location Time Tue 20th Feb Hayes Community Campus, Uxbridge 6.30pm- 8.30pm London Borough of Hillingdon 4 Consultation Statement - Regulation 30 (1) (d) Part 3: Revised Core Strategy Preferred Options (Spring 2007) College, Coldharbour Lane, Hayes Tue 27th Feb Winston Churchill Hall, Manor Farm 6.30pm- 8.30pm Site, Pinn Way, Ruislip Mon 5th March Uxbridge Campus, Uxbridge College, 6.30pm- 8.30pm Park Road, Uxbridge 5th to Fri 9th Uxbridge Central Library, 11am –1pm (every March 14-15 High Street, Uxbridge day) Sat 10 March Winston Churchill Hall, 10.30am – 12.30pm Manor Farm Site, Pinn Way, Ruislip Sat 10 March Hayes Community Campus, Uxbridge 2.30pm- 4.30 pm College, Coldharbour Lane, Hayes • Drop-in sessions were also held for Councillors [( 5-7pm) on 20 th , 28 th Feb and 7 th March] and presentations were delivered to the Residents’ and Environmental Services Policy Overview Committee meetings on 5 th Feb and 21 st Feb.